What does patriotism really mean?

  I took a wobbly step off the boat, and set foot for the first time since I was a toddler onto the islands of Cape Verde, my father's birthplace. The salty Atlantic Ocean air filled my nose. Children were playfully scrambling around a tall, rusty post in the center of a vibrant town square. In front of us was a perfect view of the charming oceanfront. Ahead stood a Roman Catholic Church, souvenir shops, and cafes, surrounded by lush, green hills. I stepped forward to snap a photo of the scenery. I still have the picture on a postcard in my drawer. A few days later, I showed my father the picture I took, and he gave me a brief history lesson. He informed me that the setting I admired so much was a grim reminder of the cruelty endured by millions of Africans. Here, stolen human beings were boarded off of slave ships, forcibly baptized at the Church, and publicly whipped at the post standing in the center of the town square. I was shocked and saddened that such horrible events occurred at such a beautiful place and to my own people. It troubled me that I could easily pass by the children playing without knowing how many untold stories of human suffering took place here. I felt uneasy about marveling at the setting in the first place. 

The rest of the trip was the experience of a lifetime, but I always remembered the perplexing feeling of seeing that beautiful place where so much suffering and hardship occured. When I was older, I learned that Cape Verde is often referred to as the birthplace of slavery. The islands were initially a colony of Portugal and used as a slave trade hub. I came to terms with the fact that Cape Verde had a dark and unsettling history. Many of the monuments I appreciated on the trip were built by the Portuguese colonizers. It was a sad truth that I had to accept. Cape Verde was built on slavery. Cape Verde gained independence from Portugal in the 1970’s, but the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade remains. I developed a growing resentment towards many everyday reminders of the legacy of colonialism. How could I appreciate the monuments in Cape Verde when they were built by colonizers? 

These feelings of resentment translated over to my feelings towards the United States. Until I immersed myself in activism as a middle school student, I had learned only a sugar coated version of U.S. history. In elementary school, I recall doing plays about the “friendships” between the pilgrims and the Native Americans. I felt the same feeling of shock as I did in Cape Verde when I found out that Mount Rushmore was carved on sacred Native American land, and that the White House was built by slaves. I had gone years without knowing that many of America’s prized monuments were actually the result of colonialism. Celebrating the Fourth of July was a little uncomfortable for me. As a person of color, I had conflicting feelings towards patriotism. How could I appreciate American culture when it was built by enslaved people on stolen land? 

Through my involvement in politics, I came to understand that I could still be a patriot while simultaneously recognizing that America was built on colonialism. I accepted that we could not undo hundreds of years of mistreating minorities, but, since I love America, I recognize the wrongdoings and injustices here, and work to fix them to make America a better country. By participating in the Women’s March, Black Lives Matter, and Brynne Kennedy’s congressional campaign, I am calling attention to important historical and social issues that we must address to remedy America’s problematic past. This is why social justice is so important to me. I’m lucky to live in a country where we can do this. But, as citizens who love our country, we have an obligation to hold America accountable and take steps to solve injustices. 

I am grateful to be aware of America’s flaws. There is a common misconception that pointing out ignorance in our country is somehow unpatriotic. But I would argue that nationalism is unpatriotic. Believing your country is infallible renders progress impossible. If it weren’t for those who were brave enough to critique our nation, we would not have come this far.